


Like a Melody and Harmony in Love

by heros_wings



Category: JYJ (Band)
Genre: AU, M/M, Rival singers, gross sappy ending, yoochun in so much denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 12:23:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6610582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heros_wings/pseuds/heros_wings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaejoong and Yoochun have been rivals in the industry for years. Their companies decide it's a good idea for them to release a collaboration single together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Melody and Harmony in Love

**Author's Note:**

> So much love and lots of hugs to owltype and dreamsaboutsky for letting me bounce ideas for the ending off them <3 This has been sitting in my Google docs for like 6 months :x

"No."

"We've already signed the contract," his company CEO said, waving an unconcerned hand.

Yoochun tore at the corner of the contract his manager had nervously handed him an hour ago.

"We're not even in the same genre!" he protested, " _and_ he's plagiarized half my discography for the past year."

"Covered..." his CEO corrected, carefully spritzing the leaves of his favorite office plant. "They paid royalties...and you just did two covers of his songs."

Yoochun gaped at him, half the contract now reduced to confetti at his feet. That was...because Yoochun had no _choice_. It would be doing a disservice to music if he let a song be ruined with grossly loud guitar riffs and whatever nonsense Jaejoong decided to arbitrarily throw into his songs like some goddamn chef salad…

And it was only _two songs._

 _Jaejoong_ on the other hand, released an entire cover album, 60% of which were Yoochun's songs, cut up and butchered to fit his chaotic "rock" concept.

And it wasn't like Yoochun downloaded it immediately when it was released. Or listened to the album on loop for a week. It wasn't like he religiously recorded every music show Jaejoong appeared on because he _enjoyed_ it. It was research. It was scoping out the competition. Finding weaknesses to exploit. 

"Jaejoong seemed very excited about the idea." His CEO was now trimming the bonsai plant in his windowsill.

Yoochun scowled, the contract now fully reduced to shreds.

 

An hour later, his phone dinged.

It was a .mp3 file from an unknown number, quickly followed by another text: _"our new song."_

Yoochun narrowed his eyes.

Without listening to it, he replied, "cancel the contract," and blocked the number.

 

Later that night, just on the edge of sleep, his phone chimed again.

He ignored it until four more texts came through. Groaning, he rolled over and grabbed it.

_‘I can't believe you blocked me :(‘_

He narrowed his eyes at the .mp3 in the 2nd message.

_'I'm using my manager’s phone.’_

 ' _It's a good song.’_

 ' _Listen to it.’_

He had every intention of shutting off his phone and going back to sleep.

Instead, his finger hit the .mp3.

A light melody fluttered through phone.

There were no lyrics. Just piano and Jaejoong humming the melody. It was nothing like the music Jaejoong had ever released — a light, melodic tune that would better fit a pop star than a rock star.

He listened to it three more times. He could already see where he would fit — where his voice would join Jaejoong's, harmonizing and blending together seamlessly, perfectly...

After the fourth listen, he scribbled, _"like a melody and harmony...."_ on a spare scrap of paper he found in his bedside table.

Grudgingly, he picked up his phone and replied with a surly, "mine's better," and sent the file of a song he had been working on for the last month.

He fell asleep before he could see the reply.

 

The next morning, still half zombie, he entered the studio. Hunched over a sheet of paper at the soundboard with headphones on, was a head of badly damaged blond hair. 

Kim Jaejoong, the singer who had debuted on the same day, on the same show, and who Yoochun had traded music show wins with for 10 years, had beaten him to his own studio. It felt like inviting someone to his house only to have them show up before he did.

He should have felt indignant. Maybe even violated. This was _his_ studio. _His_ space. Jaejoong was an intruder. An uninvited guest Yoochun was forced to host because his company made shitty decisions.

And he was fully prepared to tell Jaejoong all of this except the words died on his lips.

The blond, fluffy-haired intruder had his eyes hidden behind a pair of impractically dark sunglasses, and his lips moved soundlessly as he mouthed the words on the sheet in front of him.

The warm stir in his stomach was definitely annoyance. It wasn't something like affection or endearment or anything else that would suggest Yoochun didn't absolutely _loathe_ the idea of having to share his studio with the guy who unfairly beat him out at last year's Artist of the Year.

When Jaejoong’s manager nudged his shoulder to alert him of Yoochun’s arrival, he smiled and removed his headphones.

Yoochun’s heart jolted.

"I was just listening to the song you sent me last night," he greeted, standing up.

He reached out to clasp Yoochun's hand and bump their shoulders as if they were long time friends.

Yoochun ignored the tiny sparks of electricity that prickled along his skin. Animosity, he told himself. What he was feeling was intense dislike.

They’d met several times over the years. In fact, Jaejoong always made a point of acting overly familiar with him since day one. It was the reason Yoochun always made a very concerted effort to schedule comebacks and variety show appearances to minimize his chances of running into Jaejoong. 

Yet somehow, after 10 years, Yoochun and Jaejoong always seemed to have at least one overlapping comeback a year.

"I was just tweaking the bridge a little..." he said, heading back to the soundboard, "it's really good..."

Over the years, Yoochun watched from the sidelines as Jaejoong flirted and joked with the fans and staff, only to belt out a heart-wrenching ballad moments later, but he still marveled at how quickly he switched on his professionalism.

They quickly fell into a easy rhythm, discussing tweaks to Yoochun's song, humming the melody, marking where their voices would come together...

Neither noticed the time slipping by. They were bickering over the chorus when Jaejoong’s manager cleared his throat and said Jaejoong was already an hour late for an interview.

“See you tomorrow, Yoochun-ah!” Jaejoong chirped happily.

Yoochun blamed the tightening in his stomach on the sushi they had for lunch.

 

 

*

 

“I brought inspiration.”

Jaejoong entered the studio around midnight, sunglasses on, arms weighed down with convenience store snacks and soju.

Yoochun vaguely remembered a rule his company had about alcohol in the studio.

But, he reasoned, how else was he supposed to get through working with Jaejoong?

He took the offered bottle, ignoring the warmth spreading from his fingertips to his toes when their fingers brushed.

The sooner this single was done, the quicker he could go back to hating Jaejoong at a distance.

 

*

 

Yoochun had purposely changed his number after the first time Jaejoong texted him. And refused to give him the new one.

But there it was.

A text.

From _Jaejoongie_ _♡_

It was a simple, _“You left your phone on the table”_ followed by a series of unnecessary cat emojis.

Yoochun definitely didn't smile.

And the warm, fuzzy feeling was just him thinking about getting the entire collaboration over with so he didn't have to see Jaejoong or his stupid cat emoji texts at 3 in the morning.

 

_*_

 

Something was…wrong. 

Yoochun was a solo artist for a reason. The studio was _his_ studio. He bought it with his own money with the sole intention of having his own space. A place he could lock himself in for days and see no one except the occasional visit from a manager making sure he was still alive.

But as he shuffled in one morning and saw a fluffy blond head peeking out from under a throw blanket on the couch, there was that warm stir again. The one he couldn't — didn't _want_ — to explain.

After a few months, Jaejoong had become a familiar sight in his studio. Yoochun often found him already there, early in the mornings or late at night, fiddling with their songs on the computer, or on the couch, tapping his pencil against the table as he muttered lyrics under his breath.

It was fine. They were working together. It was perfectly normal not to be bothered about Jaejoong basically taking up residence in his studio.

He glanced around. Jaejoong's belongings were slowly becoming mixed with his own. And there were things — like the cactus sitting in the windowsill — that were definitely not there a few weeks ago.

Jaejoong had somehow fit himself in every corner.

Yoochun was only smiling because there was a coffee on the table with _Yoochun_ scrawled on the cup in Jaejoong's neat handwriting.

 

*

 

“What is that?” he looked over Jaejoong's shoulder in disgust.

“Fanfiction,” he replied without looking up.

“Why is _my_ name in it?!”

Jaejoong shrugged.

Curious, in the same way that made people fascinated by literal car wrecks, Yoochun slid closer.

“What's it about?”

 

*

 

Writing “ _like a melody and harmony in love,”_ into the chorus was the worst fucking idea Yoochun ever had.

“Yoochun-ssi,” his sound producer sighed as he stumbled through the lines for a fifth time, “you're off key again.”

Easy for _him_ to say, Yoochun thought grumpily, _he_ wasn't stuck in a recording booth with Jaejoong.

Jaejoong, who smelled like vanilla and spice.

Jaejoong, who felt it was _completely necessary_ to catch Yoochun’s eye every time they sang the last part of the chorus.

Jaejoong, who made Yoochun’s insides twist and churn like they were made of snakes…

Fuck.

“Let's try again,” the producer said.

The music started.

Jaejoong's eyes locked on his.

_“Like a melody and harmony in love.”_

Yoochun bailed.

 

*

 

Maybe it was the soju Jaejoong once again snuck into the studio. 

Maybe it was because it was 2am and he hadn't slept for two days thanks to last minute recordings, the  MV filming, and magazine shoots.

Or maybe it was because halfway through finishing the recording for their B-side track, Jaejoong stripped off his hoodie and was now sitting at the soundboard in nothing but a black tank top.

And maybe it was because Jaejoong had an annoying habit of licking his lips right before he pressed the intercom to tell Yoochun what adjustments he needed to make to his rap.

Yoochun couldn't concentrate.

When Jaejoong bit his lip he stumbled over the words.

When Jaejoong patiently told him to try again, he forgot how to breathe.

When Jaejoong did _anything_ , Yoochun felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. Teetering back and forth, knowing it wasn't a matter of if, but when, he would eventually fall.

 

*

 

He had no idea how he ended up here.

In Jaejoong's apartment.

In his bed.

With Jaejoong, desperate and needy, beneath him.

“I don't think this is what our producers had in mind when they told us to get along,” Jaejoong gasped, hips bucking up, driving deeper into Yoochun.

Yoochun shut him up with a messy, open-mouthed kiss.

“Shut up before I change my mind.”

 

*

 

The realization happened in the middle of their first stage.

Yoochun looked at Jaejoong.

_I think I love you._

And Jaejoong looked at him.

_I always have._

Yoochun smiled. 

And Jaejoong smiled back.


End file.
